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Thursday, April 3, 2014

Why I'm Afraid of Cars

The fear of driving can be severe enough to be considered a phobia. It is often great enough that people will avoid driving at all costs, and instead find someone to drive them or use public transportation, regardless of how inconvenient or expensive. There is no Latin term for this fear, though it is comparable to hodophobia, the fear of traveling. (from Wikipedia, and you have no idea how much I wish that read "hobo"-phobia, which should be a real thing. I'll see you again on "H" day)

It's not that I'm afraid of cars themselves or driving or even of getting hit by a car... I actually was hit by one once while crossing a sidewalk. I rolled with it and bounced off the hood before hitting the pavement. I walked away with just a few scratches and some mud on my coat. Freaked the goddamn hell out of the driver though, and I do kinda hope it gave her nightmares.No, what I'm afraid of is that moment when you're driving a car and you get the sudden and irrepressible urge to steer it into oncoming traffic just to see what would happen.

That's why I take the bus to work. Not just so I can avoid the temptation of living out an action movie with my Hyundai, but so that I can sleep through my commute. My drive-time scenery isn't nearly so pretty.